Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Vol State graduation ceremony will be streamed live on the Internet once again this year. Graduation is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2014 starting at 10 a.m. The video will be streamed at www.volstate.edu/graduation

Monday, April 28, 2014

The Pioneers Baseball and Softball teams had a big weekend. They both advanced to the TCCAA Region 7 tournament next weekend (May 2-4) here at Vol State. The women play on Friday at 2pm versus Roane State. The men play at 10am Friday versus Motlow State. The games are free for everyone with a Vol State ID and just $5 for the public. Kids under 12 are always free. Be sure to get out there and cheer on the Pioneers!

Here are the brackets for next weekend (click on them for a larger view):

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Check out the latest release from Vol State student songwriters and musicians! The new CD "In Plain Sight" is coming out this weekend. Look for it at the Spring Showcase concerts this Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm in the Caudill Hall Wemyss Auditorium. The CD is $5 and the show is free with your Vol State ID. Just $5 admission for the pubic.

Monday, April 21, 2014

The spotlight is on Volunteer State
Community College songwriters and musicians for the annual Spring Showcase
concert and CD release party. This year the show is based on the Vol State CD
release titled “In Plain Sight.” The title refers to the exposure the CD will hopefully
provide for student performers in the area. It features a number of musical
styles performed by the Commercial Music Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Songwriting
Class and the Bluegrass Ensemble- “Bluegrass Ablaze.” The CD will be available
for sale at the show and at the Vol State Bookstore in Gallatin. It was
recorded in the Vol State Recording Studio by students in the Entertainment
Media Production program and Recording Industry Management program.

The Spring Showcase performances will
be held on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wemyss
Auditorium at Caudill Hall on the Vol State campus, 1480 Nashville Pike in
Gallatin. There is a suggested donation of $5 for admission, $10 for admission
and a copy of the CD. The funds will be used for music scholarships. For further
information please call 615-230-3201. For information about the Music Program
at Vol State visit www.volstate.edu/music

Do you enjoy writing? Vol State is hiring a student Social Media Writer for next school year. This is a paid position. You need to be a good writer and be available to work 10-15 hours a week for both fall and spring semesters next year. Writing samples are required. Apply online now. Click this link and then click "Clerical Positions" and then the Social Media Writer posting.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Congrats to Jenise Davis, the freshman guard with the Lady Pioneers basketball team. She was voted to the NJCAA
All-American 2nd team for the 2013-2014 women’s basketball season. Jenise finished the season averaging 24 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game. Leading
the conference in both scoring and assist. Here is a link from the NJCAA page. Go Pioneers!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Wednesday April 16, 2014, The Communication Department
hosted the Hal R. Ramer Speech Contest. Dr. Hal Ramer was the founding
president of Vol State. The contest was named in his honor to celebrate the
achievements of students who share a passion for public speaking. The contest
recognizes the outstanding public speaking skills of the Vol State students. The
contest is presented each spring at Vol State.

Stay on Track. Take the Classes You Need. Save Money. Graduate Earlier. Use Tennessee Transfer Pathways as one way to plan your college and university career. They can show you exactly what classes you need to take for a particular major, transferring from Vol State to a state or private university. Make sure your credits transfer for your degree. Here are the details.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Stay on track. Take the classes you need. Save money. Graduate earlier. How do you do it? Meet regularly with your academic advisor. Still having trouble? See the folks in the Advising Center in Ramer 174 or ask at the front desk of Livingston and Highland Crest. Use Degree Works on My Vol State to see what classes you will need for your degree. It's free and every student has access. It's under the academics tab and in the quick links.Take charge of your college career!If you need help with Degree Works visit or call the Advising Center. 615-230-3702.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

A resume is only one tool in a job
search these days. Online services, such as the LinkedIn business networking
website, can be just as important. The Spring Job Career Fair at Volunteer
State Community College will feature one-on-one help to show job seekers how to
sign-up for LinkedIn and use the service in their search. The LinkedIn
assistance will be available throughout the Job Fair.

Of course, the primary draw for the
event is that dozens of employers will be on hand. All job seekers are invited
to attend. Participants are encouraged to bring several copies of their
resumes. The fair provides an opportunity for job seekers to talk directly with
the people responsible for hiring at many area companies. There will also be a
special session for military veterans called “Vets Next Steps” from 9:30 a.m.
to 10:30 a.m. in the Pickel Field House room 130A. The discussion will focus on
transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce. There is still space
available at the fair for recruiters and businesses. They should visit www.volstate.edu/Placement for
details.

The Spring Job Career Fair is free and
open to all job seekers. It will be held in the gym at the Pickel Field House
on Wednesday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vol State is located at 1480
Nashville Pike in Gallatin. For more information call 615-230-3307.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Vol State Events April 14-20Tuesday, April 15Spring Honors Night, Nichols Dining Room, 6pm, for Honors Program members as well as students who are interested in the Honors ProgramWednesday, April 16 Lecture: “Hispanic Immigration: Misconceptions and Truths”, by Jaime Sanchez, Mattox 104, 12:20pmHonors Student Presentations, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pmMusic Department show at the Whippoorwill on the Square in Gallatin, 6:30pmThursday, April 17 Coffee with the Prez, Cafeteria, 10am-11amSpring Fling, Plaza and Library Lawn, 10am to 2pmPre-Nursing Advising Session with Belmont University, Warf 110, 12:45pmFriday, April 18Campus Closed and no classes for Good Friday

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The third annual Sumner
County Bluegrass Jamboree is coming to Volunteer State Community College on
Saturday, April 12 and everyone is invited to enjoy the free performances and
competitions. The event is hosted by Vol State as part of the Bluegrass Music
degree emphasis at the college.

The competition begins at
noon and people can sign up the morning of the competition, starting at 10 a.m.. Categories include:

Beginner Fiddle (15 and under)

Junior Fiddle (16-39)

Senior Fiddle (40 and up)

Beginner Guitar (15 and under)

Guitar (16 and up)

Beginner Mandolin (15 and under)

Mandolin (16 and up)

Beginner Banjo (15 and under)

Banjo (16 and up)

Beginner Dobro (15 and under)

Dobro (16 and up)

Bluegrass Band($25
entry fee due day of competition)

Registration is $10 for
instrumentalists and $25 for bands. The competitions are open to everyone.
Sign-up will be held the day of the event starting at 10 a.m. There will be
monetary prizes based on the number of registrations in each category and
judging by bluegrass veterans. The public is invited to watch the players
square off.

"Bluegrass music is
inherently competitive, as it's often up tempo, always energetic, and the
players are truly unplugged, forcing them to play with commitment and stamina,”
said Vol State assistant professor Ben Graves, who organizes the event and runs
the Bluegrass Program. “Bluegrass players play their instruments a lot, so
there's an engrained spirit of competition in the tradition.”

The Jamboree will also
feature jamming and free concerts in the afternoon.

"Bluegrass
musicians take their tradition very seriously and it comes through in the
music,” Graves said.“Most music lovers,
or folks that value musicianship, usually find something to like or enjoy in
the Bluegrass tradition because it's about as real as music gets.”

The Sumner County Bluegrass
Jamboree will be held from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Caudill Hall on the Vol
State campus at 1480 Nashville Pike in Gallatin. There is plenty of free
parking. For more information visit http://www.volstate.edu/jamboreeor call 615-452-8600, extension 2936.

Monday, April 7, 2014

We apologize for the computer problems Monday morning. Summer and Fall class registration for current sophomores will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8. General registration will start at 8 a.m. Registration for freshmen will be pushed back until Wednesday, April 9, also at 8 a.m. for general registration.

Friday, April 4, 2014

International Education is growing in ways we may have never expected, and tuneful ones at that.

The band Wabash is made up of Vol State students. They're cutting a CD in the Vol State recording studio and now, thanks to the Entertainment Media Production and International Education programs, they're trading video-taped recordings of songs with British bands. It's for for an international TV show that connects Gallatin college students to students in Exeter, England. The Vol State students, faculty and staff involved in the project set-up in the auditorium recently to tape a segment for the show.

"Exeter College faculty in England wanted to partner with us on this type of show," said Entertainment Media Production director, Steve Bishir. "We're sharing ideas for how to expand this in the future."

The TV shows is called "The Beat" and it's produced by students at Exeter. The Vol State students were taping segments of Wabash performing and being interviewed. Those cuts will be sent to England to be included as part of the show. Once it's done, "The Beat" will be seen on cable stations in Devon County, England and here in Middle Tennessee.

"We're doing two songs and students are doing it all," said Media Services director, Terry Heinen. They're shooting, directing and mixing it all, as well as playing."

And why Tennessee for a partner?

"Nashville means something in England, musically," said Bishir.

The experience is great for students, but it's also education for the faculty involved.

"We have found that we're ahead of our English counterparts in some areas of media curriculum and they're ahead of us in others," said Bishir. "It's a great chance for us to both grow."

The college radio stations at both schools will also be partnering in projects. The Exeter station wants Vol State music to play and our Vol State station, WVCP-FM, will play the local Devon bands.

The entire venture started with an International Education trip by former vice president of Academic Affairs, Bruce Scism. It shows that International Education is not just a matter of student trips overseas. It can be collaborations of all sorts, and involving many college programs. Those relationships take cultivation and the fruit of those labors is seen in projects like this one.

We'll have more info when "The Beat" airs here in Tennessee. And to our new British friends: we look forward to hearing your tunes!

The summer and fall class schedules are now available for viewing on My Vol State. Early registration starts next week for current students. Sophomores (30 or more credit hours) on Monday and Freshmen (less than 30 hours) on Tuesday, both at 8am. registration for new student and readmits will start April 21. Yiou will have to apply to the college first if you are a new student or readmit. For those without access to My Vol State, you can view the schedules here.